


Welcome To Howell's - Phandom Round Robin 2015-16

by PhandomRoundRobin (orphan_account)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, F/M, Fluff, High School, High School AU, M/M, Other, Phan - Freeform, Phan AU, Smut, diner, phandom round robin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-04 06:19:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5323763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/PhandomRoundRobin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan Howell works as a waiter in his family's diner appropriately named Howell's Diner and enamoured by Phil Lester, a school crush who is a year older than him and just so happens to be a regular customer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Howell You?

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Phandom Round Robin 2015/16!!! Each author will take turns in posting a weekly chapter.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan goes to work, trying to avoid the handsome looking Phil Lester. Chapter author: Pris/phandomestic.tumblr.com

CHAPTER 1 - pris/phandomestic

 

It's half past ten in the morning and although Dan attempts a guise of indifference at the time displayed, his mind is running a million miles per second. From his peripheral vision, he can spot the clock above the entrance, although it isn't needed at all. He knows that in approximately 82 seconds, Phil Lester will come bounding through the door with a smile that'll immediately brighten his day and make his insides warm.   
  
Dan hasn't been working in his grandma's diner very long, but in the four months he's spent as a waiter thus far, he was able to gather a few things: 1) the boy he was infatuated with since he was in Year 10 was a regular, 2) said boy stops by every Saturday morning at 10:32 AM without fail, and 3) Dan embarrassingly took note of the fact very early on.   
  
In fact, he had successfully managed to avoid approaching him at first, but there were only so many encounters he could evade before his grandma eventually passed the torch of a grueling morning shift over to him -- much to his dismay.   
  
The first time was a blunder. Dan was much more interested in examining his nails and although he heard the chime of a bell that signaled an arrival through the door and was hyper aware of the time displayed on the clock, ignorance was bliss. Or so he liked to believe.   
  
It goes without saying that Dan felt like a creep stood in the back near the double doors leading to the kitchen, watching as the tall dark-haired boy was led to sit at a stool near the counter. He quickly snuck a glance to the left, and right, hoping he could find a fellow waiter who wasn't busy and could save him from the impending clash, but it was to no avail as he was eventually ushered to take the order.    
  
His left hand was twiddling with the pen as he approached, and he nervously adjusted his fringe that fell in front of his eyes. If it wasn't already obvious enough, he was dead beat red and was clearly under no condition whatsoever to do his job correctly, much less at all. Dan was so stunned by the image before him, an otherwise ordinary snapshot of a groggy, albeit comfortable Phil Lester that hadn't even bothered with contacts so early in the morning and settled with thick black frames, that it was just enough to set his heart aflutter. The task of pretending like he wasn't checking Phil out was nearly impossible. After all, in his eyes, before him stood a god, a man from myth and legend, disguised as a customer at  Howell's Diner at 10:40 AM on a Saturday morning.    
  
So adamant in chewing at the insides of his cheeks in hesitation and suddenly looking down at his shoes and the linoleum floor and anywhere else but  him , it was a gentle tap on the shoulder that suddenly got his attention. His head snapped up quickly, like a deer caught in headlights, and reddened even more (if that were even possible) at the sight of  Phil smiling at  him .   
  


“Oh, sorry.”  Nice start, you dingus . “Welcome to  Howell’s , Howell you?”

 

He grits his teeth in a forced smile  and grimaces at the phrase, blushing as Phil dissolves into a giggling fit. 

 

“Sorry, sorry,” Phil says between laughs. “That just - it never gets old.”

 

Now normally Dan would be incredibly ticked off by anyone who encourages such a heinous slogan and yet here he is, smiling instead and stunned again by the anomaly that is Phil Lester. It was a critical hit.

 

“Erm, m-my name is Dan,” he stammered.  “And I’ll be your server for today. Can I start you off with anything to drink or are you ready to order?”    
  
He couldn't help but notice the curious gaze the older boy was giving him, and all he could do was falter and stare back, his chest becoming heavy as the expression on Phil's face dissolved into one of recognition.   
  
"Dan." He seemed to test his name on his tongue. "You hung around Peej last year, didn't you?"

 

Indeed he did. Truth be told, it was his befriending of PJ that was the catalyst for his infatuation with Phil in the first place, and consequently why he eventually strayed away after getting nervous time and time again whenever the other boy would show up. Funny how little that’s changed. 

 

They were acquaintances, if Dan can even call it that. He and Phil shared a friend or two, but were never around each other enough to form a friendship of their own. Although, that was partially Dan’s own fault originally for being too bashful to even speak to him. Phil was the equivalent of a teddy bear; the guy who found it easy making friends, was open and happy to welcome even more people into his circle of friends, and the guy who is generally well-liked.

 

He’s everything Dan isn’t. Dan is simply more of a solitary spirit, and while he does have some  friends, there are a far less number of them in his life. It really isn’t for any other reason than the fact that he’s always been that way and is only more guarded because he doesn’t think anything in his life is worth mentioning to anyone else. Everyone knows his family owns this diner and that he works here, and that’s all there is to it.

 

So, he stuck by the classic  admiring from afar when it came to Phil and the friends he surrounded himself with. And it worked -- up until now, that is. 

 

“That’s me,” Dan responded with a smile, chuckling nervously as he fidgeted and ruffled his hair.

 

“I figured. I’m Phil, by the way.”

  
“I know.” He coughed and cleared his throat, realizing how weird that sounded. “I-I mean, I hung around him enough that your name came up a lot. Anyway, your order?”

  
"Right! Can I have a bagel with cream cheese to compliment the white in your eyes?" Phil inquired smoothly, waggling his eyebrows at Dan only to pause. "Wait, that sounded better in my head."

 

It was  mortifying how loud of a snort Dan gave in response.  Is he always this adorable?

 

“I’ll take a coffee as well,” Phil added. 

 

“A bagel with cream cheese to compliment the white in my eyes and a coffee, you got it.”

 

Fortunately, the blunder wasn’t just on Dan’s part, but Phil’s too.

 

Obviously Dan had been keeping his eyes on Phil since he entered the diner, and it didn’t help that Phil was constantly trying to strike up conversation with him. Yet after an hour had passed, Dan finally caught on that Phil’s food had hardly been touched, to which he responded, “Can I be honest? I actually can’t stand cheese and it was an impulsive order.”

 

“Because of the white in my eyes?”

 

“Exactly,” Phil winked.

 

A part of Dan died that day.

 

It was now 12 seconds until Phil would enter  Howell’s for his weekly arrival, and Dan could already see his figure through the window. So he took a deep breath and donned a smile, his heart already aflutter.


	2. I only give my number to hot girls but I'll make an exception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! asher/danhowellsaethetic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for missing last week, we had some troubles locating the author.

Chapter 2 / danhowellsaesthetic **  
**

The next few weeks had gone about as smooth as the frozen butter that Phil was attempting to spread on to his newly ordered and slightly burnt piece of toast. Dan had continued to be a blushing, stressed out mess whenever that perfect, raven haired boy entered the small family diner. His worries increased by at least 15% every time that familiar jingle chimed throughout the room from the door opening at 10:32 sharp, every single weekend.  
  


Phil hadn't seemed to notice how Dan reacted around him, even though it must've been quite obvious, at least, to the other customers. The comments got worse everyday, because everyone thought they were more than just 2 boys who shared the same friends and the same school. Of course, Phils flirtatious remarks didn't help the situation either.

School had been the same as always. Dan was just glad Phil wasn't in the same year as him so they didn't have to have any awkward encounters during class. The only time they actually saw each other during school that week was on wednesday morning. 

Dan was walking through the hallways on his way to class, as usual, and Phil saw him. He said hi of course, and Dan scrambled away in surprise, causing him to trip and fall. He felt utterly humiliated even though they were the only ones there. Phil had helped him gather his belongings and Dan swore if his heart had been beating any faster it would have leapt right out of his chest.

But that was school, and Dan sure would rather be in school, or at home even, than be here in that moment in front of Phil Lester. 

He was standing there awkwardly beside the counter, watching Phil eat. There weren’t any customers waiting to be served so he had nothing better to do, and Phil wasn't as talkative as he usually was, but that didn't mean Dan wasn't feeling self conscious, as he just stared. 

The silence was killing him.

Dan tapped his foot quietly to himself, trying to get distracted so he didn't have to look at the perfection in front of him. He felt himself starting to zone out, blocking out all the sounds around him, including Phil.

“Uh, Hello?”

Phil's voice quickly broke the calming zone out session that Dan was having. He snapped back into the anxiety filled place that was reality and looked at Phil, his eyes wide.

“Uh y-yes? How can I h-help you?” Dan spat out quickly, clutching his notebook to his chest and standing up straight.

“You don't have to be formal around me you know,” Phil said with a laugh.

Dan relaxed his posture a bit and let out a breath.

“O-Okay.” 

“So Dan, after all the times I've come here I still know close to nothing about you.” Phil remarked in his noticeably Northern, British  accent.

He definitely spoke too soon about hating silence. Here comes the conversation that Phil insists they have every time he comes to the diner.

Dan looked at Phil nervously. He was the most uninteresting person on the planet, and that was half the reason he felt so embarrassed around Phil. Sure, he liked music and he would draw sometimes but other than  that, a pebble on the side of the road probably had a more eventful life then him. Phil was the cool guy that everyone liked, and Dan knew he was way out of his league. Phil shouldn't want to talk to him. But then again, Phil talked to everyone.

“W-Well,” Dan bit his lip as he tried to think of something that wouldn't make him seem like an awkward dork. “I work at a diner my par—.”

Fuck.

Phil laughed and took a bite out of his toast.

“I thought that was pretty obvious.” He exclaimed as he faced Dan with an amused look. 

Dan covered his crimson face and looked at the ground. Why did he even think to say that? They were quite literally standing in the very diner he was talking about, and that was the worst thing he could possibly bring up. What was next? ’I go to the school 5 blocks from here’?. 

He let out a sigh of embarrassment. All Dan wanted to do in a situation like this was merge into the wall and be eliminated from existence.

After a few minutes of silence, and muffled giggles from Phil, Dan got up the courage to attempt speaking again.

“Well, Er, I-I like Muse? I guess?”

That wasn't much better. Phil probably didn't even know who Muse was. Why did he have to be so awkward? Dan looked up at Phil, slowly drawing his hands away from his face. Surprisingly Phil was grinning widely.

“Muse? I love Muse! I have a whole CD collection, and everything! That's so cool!” He giggled, his tone excited and full of joy.  
  


Dan couldn't help but smile at how adorable Phil was acting. I mean, Muse was something to get excited about but look cute while doing it? Not many people could pull that off. Plus he was sure no one else in the school had a CD collection of his favourite band.

“What else?” Phil asked as he practically bounced in his chair, a twitch of excitement still visible while he spoke.

“I play video games sometimes…” Dan said as he scratched his arm, the butterflies in his stomach still fluttering wildly.

“Video games are great! I'm a master at Mario Kart.” Phil boasted. Dan realized that Phil was practically yelling and his embarrassment increased.

Dan looked at the floor.

He loved Mario Kart, but maybe if he shut up Phil would go back to his unnatural silence.

The problem was, Phil never seemed to notice when Dan was embarrassed. He always just kept talking, which usually made the butterflies in his stomach turn into wasps.

“We should have a Mario Kart date sometime. You'd be up for that right?”

Dans face returned to the familiar colour of red as the word “date” sunk into his brain. 

Phil's smile fell slightly as Dan remained silent, but Dan was too flustered to notice.

“Anyways, uh, Dan. From what I've heard you’re a pretty cool person. I was just wondering if you'd like to come to a party with me next Friday. None of my friends can make it and I don't want to go alone.”

Dan's eyes widened in absolute shock. Did Phil Lester, the Phil Lester, just invite someone like him to a party?! Dan was nothing close to the partying type, he was just a lame teen who stayed home watching movies when he wasn't working, but he couldn't turn down an opportunity like this, even if he knew he'd regret going to a social event like this one. He could barely speak to Phil, he'd never survive a party with him.

“Uh, Y-Yeah, Sure.”

Dan smiled nervously at Phil.

Phil put down his half eaten piece of toast and stood up, looking over at Dan with his signature grin as he handed him a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

“I'll see you there then Howell.”

Dan opened up the piece of paper and scanned the words. There on it, was the address to the party and Phil's phone number.

“I mean, I usually only give my number to hot girls but I'll make an exception for you.

Phil winked as he walked out the door, the door chime ringing as the door shut with a light slam.


	3. As I'll Ever Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil stops by unannounced and unprecedented when Dan is closing up and brings a shirt for Dan to wear the party as well as his jacket. Dan and Phil go to said party and run into a very drunk friend of Phil's named Chris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Lauren's (chocolatepoptartsxo.tumblr.com) chapter! Chapter three

The week coming up to the party passed far too fast for Dan's liking. The diner went through its ‘busy week’ of the month, which of course meant that half of the staff were off, leaving Dan working three times his usual lazy pace and stressing out, all while kicking himself for not answering Phil about Mario kart. He knew it was small, and was just a friendly invite, but the image of Phil's face when he realized Dan wasn't answering made Dan's stomach clench with guilt every time it made its way to the front of his mind.

It was Thursday night (26 hours until he met Phil for the party- not that he was counting) and the diner was closing up when an unexpected visitor appeared. Any form of change in routine made Dan nervous, especially when it came in the form of a surprise visit from a certain raven-haired boy. They had been texting, albeit awkwardly on Dan's part, but still, the sight of Phil running into the diner with his face alight with excitement and that little bit of hair sticking up made his stomach knot itself and his face go crimson.

“Dan! Hey!” Phil smiled at him, “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by!”

“It's-it’s fine, no worries,” Dan said, his face going slightly red as he stuttered. “What's up?”

“Well, I was thinking, since you're coming to that party with me tomorrow night; you are still coming out with me, right?” Phil said, pausing not long enough for Dan to nod. “Good good, anyway I was looking out my outfit for tomorrow and I kind of just assumed that you don't go to many parties and that you wouldn't have any stuff to wear, so I brought over a shirt for you!” He smiled “I hope that didn't sound as rude as it did in my head, but I didn't want you to stress about it”

Phil brought me a shirt. Phil brought me one of his shirts. Phil thought about me. Dan blinked, struggling to wrap his mind around the person that is Phil Lester. How could he be so good and kind and thoughtful and still popular? Why does he act so kind to me? Why does he care?

“Um, Dan?”

“S-sorry,” Dan blushed. “Thank you for the shirt”

Phil beamed, “No problem! I'll text you the details about tomorrow!”

“Okay,” Dan smiled “I'll see you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow.” Phil smiles before saying goodbye and leaving the diner.

Dan sighed. Wow. Tomorrow’s going to be something else.

Tomorrow actually came far too early for Dan’s liking, leaving him a ball of nerves and a little bit of a mess. Before Dan knew it it was Friday night, half an hour before he and Phil were due to meet outside the diner.

Dan fiddled with the collar of the shirt Phil gave him in the mirror. It was a yellow and black checked shirt- the one he was wearing when he first came into the diner at 10.32am all those Wednesdays ago. Not that Phil would remember that, but it made Dan smile. Phil. Phil. Phil actually thinks of Dan outside of the diner. Phil wants to get to know Dan. Phil actually cares. ‘Phil is picking me up to take me to a party.’ Dan thought. ‘What the fuck’

The alarm on Dan’s phone went off, dragging him out of his reverie. He did one final check of his fringe in the mirror, before heading downstairs and out the diner. As per usual, Phil was scarily punctual- arriving at exactly 6.30pm. It’s almost like he plans it, Dan thought. What does he do if he’s early? Hangs about the nearest corner so he can walk in on time? Jesus...

“Hey,” Dan said, once Phil had walked close enough that he didn’t needs to shout. Phil looked Dan up and down, smirking as he did so. Dan blushed; it looked like he was checking him out.

“Not bad Howell, you clean up nice.” Phil said, a cheeky glint in his eye. Okay, it definitely wasn’t Dans imagination- he had been checking him out.

“Thanks,” Dan muttered, all of his put-on confidence when he had said ‘hey’ first (which wasn’t much confidence to begin with) was lost at Phil’s words.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah-,” Dan said, starting to walk off. “Wait no, I need a jacket. I’ll be back in a moment.” 

Dan turned to walk back into the diner, but before he could Phil grabbed his wrist. Without losing eyes contact, Phil took his leather jacket off and wrapped it around Dans shoulders. Dan shivered.

“Better?” Phil said with a smirk. Dan just stood there staring at Phil, unable to even act embarrassed. Phil laughed, “Come on then.”

It took Dan a while to shake the shock of Phil giving him his jacket, and the first thing he noticed about the world around him was that the jacket smelled exactly like Phil, and that he found that smell intoxicating.

_____

When they arrived at the party, there were three things that Dan immediately noticed. One, it looked closer to a zoo than a house. Two, he really hated drunk teenagers. Three, he was so not going to fit in here.

The house itself was more like mansion, with smooth white marble walls and a long driveway. Everything about this screamed ‘intimidating’ and ‘run in the other direction’. There was a reason Dan wasn’t a party person and it had something to do with the fact we was an introverted person by nature which meant he really didn’t mix well with extroverted, drunk, obnoxious teenagers.

Speaking of drunk, obnoxious teenagers, one boy just threw himself on top of Phil in one of those complicated bro-hug/handshake combinations.

“Phil, man-” The boy stumbled, losing his balance as he tried to drunkenly greet phil. “Nice to see you! Who’s your friend?” he slurred.

“This is Dan, Dan meet-“

“THIS IS DAN? THE ONE YOU WOULDN’T SHUT UP ABOUT?” The man shouted, making Dan blush and laugh at the same time.

“-Chris...” Phil sighed. “You know what, never mind.”

Dan and Phil walked to the door of the house.

“You ready?” Phil asked.

"As I'll ever be."


	4. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they are chilling at the party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ay this is ayesh/ghiblilester's chapter!!

The stench of beer was intoxicating, and already strong in the front room of the house. Dimmed pink lighting flashed from spinning strobe lights. Teenagers littered the room, dancing to the beat of a popular song, sloshing drinks in red plastic cups and speaking in loud, slurred voices. Dan slunked a bit behind Phil. While the older boy seemed like a creature in its natural habitat, Dan felt like he was in a place he never would belong.

“Come on, just follow me.” Phil tugged the sleeve of his shirt on Dan, causing the younger boy to obediently follow.

They emerged into a large, grand room. Furniture was stacked and pushed aside, except for a long table covered in red cups, beer bottles, and bags of Doritos.

Tall girls in skirts swayed from side to side, and older, taller boys eyed them while nudging one another. Dan could almost feel classmates staring, and likely judging, him as he stumbled beside Phil. The awkward waiter from Howell’s didn’t feel as comfortable as he wanted to be beside his upperclassmen.

“Hey, Phil, that you?!” A boy with fluffy, brown hair and a tall, strong figure steadily walked towards Phil. “I thought I was the only sober person at this party.”

“Pj,” Phil turned towards the boy and bumped his shoulder with his fist. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine as ever,” Pj continued, noticing Dan behind Phil. “And is that Dan?”

Dan shook a bit at the mention of his name.

“Yeah-” Phil hesitated for a bit, then walked on. “See you Pj.”

To Dan, it seemed as if Phil talked about him to his friends. A lot. Blood rushed to his cheeks, but as soon as he felt the warmth, he shook his head. How stupid, he thought, remembering he was only there as Phil’s friend.

“Ever been to a party like this before?” Phil asked, voice slightly raised over the tone of the music.

Dan shook his head slightly, and opened his mouth to speak, when Phil suddenly grabbed him.

“Then let me teach you how to fit in.”

The crowded room, full of screaming teenagers, seemed to fade into the noise of the music as Phil pulled Dan to dance. Forgetting the other boys and girls, Dan imitated Phil’s movements. His stomach fluttered, and he felt numb. Phil’s hands, holding onto Dan, left a sensation Dan had never felt before. The room of drunk students danced, limbs of all kind in the air and against the walls. The house vibrated, music beating like blood flowing through the heart. The room grew fuller and fuller as more students entered the dancefloor.

“Phi-- Phil…” Dan started.

“Relax I’ve got you.” With both hands, Phil turned Dan’s shoulders around, away and back to face him. He pulled Dan closer and closer until the two tall boys loomed over the other party-goers almost as one. 

A new song started to play, more upbeat than the last. The crowd of students got rowdier and rowdier. Drunk students, reeking of beer, spilled their drinks out of their cups as they moved to the music. The wooden floors of the grand vibrated with the stomping of feet, and the crowd grew more and more violent.

\--------------------------------------------

The sounds of the music beat through Phil’s ears. He felt himself being compelled by it, his desires drawn towards the rhythm. Usually, at a party like this, he would be beside some drink table, surrounded by a couple of females-- and males-- as well as his friends, flirting and spilling drinks to collect a couple of phone numbers and future dates. Tonight was different though, he had a partner to dance with. Dan Howell was an interesting boy, the waiter at the diner. The awkward boy no one really talked about unless they were going to make a joke about his height or his clumsy nature or his antisocial tendencies. Phil wasn’t really thinking however, nodding his head violently to the beat of the music, surrounded by intense partying drunks, he felt more alive.

“Hey, Phil,” a jock called, snapping a cap off a beer and tossing it.

Catching the bronze, already opened bottle, Phil chugged some down his throat. The liquid surged through his system-- he could feel himself losing his sense with every swig.

\--------------------------------------------

Dan watched Phil’s Adam’s apple heave up and down with every sip. His defined, sharp edges shifting under his skin. 

“Want a sip?” Phil asked, stifling down a bit from his jump to offer the bottle to Dan.

“Uh.. no thanks,” Dan pushed the bottle back, a bit nervous. Phil was getting drunk. And Dan had no idea how drunk Phil would behave.

Shrugging, Phil took another sip. The liquid from the bottle spilled a little as he drained it fast. He tossed the bottle aside, and it crashed on the wooden floor. Pieces of glass littered the ground, teens sweeping it aside as they danced.

Grabbing Dan’s arms, he turned and twisted Dan around as they neared towards the edge of the room. Phil pinned him against the wall.

“Now, Howell, let me show you how to party.”


	5. chapter five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Phil do special things at the party

“Where are we going?” Dan asked, slightly nervous as Phil swayed and stumbled through the house, his feet tripping on everything.

“Exploring!” Phil laughed, letting go of Dan who was trailing lonely behind him. Dan was uncomfortable with drunk Phil. He didn’t act that much different, still completely unpredictable. 

Dan nervously followed Phil around the house, Phil making comments about the furniture or how steep the stairs were, a little too steep for Phil’s drunk legs. Phil tripped up the stairs, gripping onto the handrail and ending up in a pile of limbs on the steps. 

“Are y-you okay?” Dan asked, reaching for Phil’s hand, trying to pull Phil up. Phil giggled and pulled Dan down with him, Dan freaking out. Oh because he must look so stupid right now, tripping over Phil Lester. Dan ended up in Phil’s lap who had wrapped him arms around Dan. 

“Dannnn,” Phil slurred, throwing his head back and laughing. His breath stank of alcohol, but somehow Dan felt so much secure with Phil, the feeling of knowing somewhere in drunk Phil, he cared about Dan not being sad and about him having a good time. 

“Phil, we need to get up,” Dan whispered, slightly scared of Phil, intimidated by his drunk state. It was a weird feeling, feeling safe with someone so unstable. 

“But why? I like these stairs, don’t you?” Phil giggled, resting his head on Dan’s shoulder. 

Dan tensed up as Phil rested his head on his shoulder. Dan sucked in a breath and waited for Phil to stop, but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen anytime soon. 

“Soften up, your shoulder feels like a brick,” Phil told him, shuffling his head around. 

Dan tried his best to losen up, to relax a little. No one was here, no one would see this. Phil melted into Dan’s shoulder, closing his eyes. It was three minutes later that Phil lifted his head off of Dan’s shoulder due to getting uncomfortable, as the position they were in was not the best. 

“Mm, Dan,” Phil breathed, looking up at him. Their faces were inches away from each other’s, ghosting over the others lips, and a warm heat radiated off of them both, making their faces heat up. Everything seemed to go in slow motion with smooth breaths and Dan couldn’t think, all his thoughts focused on the way Phil’s lips fit on his. Dan placed a hand on Phil’s shoulder, deepening the kiss. He couldn’t even register what was happening. Just the faint smell of alcohol and the vibrating floor beneath them. 

Phil placed a hand on Dan’s waist, guiding them both into a standing position, not leaving each other’s lips. Dan couldn’t form words in his own head, everything in him telling to never leave the unknown and yet to let his body be explored by Phil Lester. It didn’t even register to Dan that he was kissing a boy. It didn’t occur to him that he could be gay; everything sped through his head and went too fast for him to be able to panic. 

“Dan,” Phil gritted out, prying his lips away. Dan wasn’t having it and forced his lips back on Phil’s wanting the feeling back. The feeling; as soon as it stopped he would panic and quite frankly, he was sick of the scary feeling of not knowing what to do next. With Phil he didn’t have to think. They fit so well together that the path just rolled out in front of them, both of them silently consenting to it. 

“Dan,” Phil broke the kiss, panting. “We can’t do this here!” 

Dan wasted no time pulling Phil up the rest of the stairs, with Dan running as fast as he could, running away from the questions, responsibilities. He wanted Phil back on his lips, he wanted that sweet pleasurable distraction back. 

Dan burst into a room, slamming the door and kissing Phil by gripping his collar. Dan kept kissing him, working his lips, and occasionally ran his tongue across Phil’s lips. Phil smirked, knowing what Dan wanted, having done with a number of guys and girls. Phil pushed Dan up against the nearest wall, moving his lips across Dan’s jawline to leave a trail of kisses. He nipped at Dan’s neck, hearing the boy whimper at the sensitive area. 

“Fuck,” Dan breathed, gripping the belt loops on Phil’s jeans to pull him closer and grind, showing him his throbbing erection. Phil smirked, leaving the red and bitten area to kiss Dan again. Phil moved his hands up to Dan’s face and placed a hand on Dan’s jaw, the other resting on his neck. Phil’s rushing slowed to just soft kisses, eachother’s hands roaming their flushed bodies. Dan was slightly at this action, but of course still enjoyed it. Why did he enjoy it?

Phil was a boy. 

Dan felt the crisis catching up with him. He needed to be lost in Phil, warm Phil, lovely Phil, kind Phil. Fucking hot Phil. Dan forced himself onto Phil more, his hands sliding down from Phil’s belt onto his crotch to palm him. Dan worked Phil from semi-hard to red, throbbing and hard. Phil realised what Dan was trying to do so he quickly removed Dan’s hand and undid Dan’s jean buttons. Dan felt Phil’s warm breath that smelt of alcohol hit his neck. They say that alcohol changes people, but he knew Phil was still Phil. No one could change Phil. Apart from his attractive, that’s what made him seem so appealing to everyone: he was stable. He would go through thick and thin and no one could notice even a slight change within him.

Phil had slowly walked Dan over to the bed, his breath now mixed with Dan’s, getting needier and needier, and he wanted more.

~

Phil woke with a familiar warmth, a nice feeling, and wandering eyes. He looked at the high ceiling with the hanging light. He looked at the perfectly white walls, how aesthetically pleasing the whole room was. Phil looked to the right and saw tan skin and light curly brown hair. He was beautiful. Phil not only saw him, but felt him. He felt long legs next to his, he felt the warmth radiating off Dan and mixing with Phil’s, creating this warm bubble between them. They had felt each other last night, felt each other with exploring hands and breathy moans, with small whimpers and exchanges of the universal words, ‘ _I love you_.’ Last night Dan and Phil were one with flushed skin and timeless thrusts, with wordless screams of want and need, with each other. It was happiness. 

Phil had never felt that happy at a time like this, Dan was just one of his toys, one of the people he fucked and left them without a care. Why did he care about Dan? Why did he want to stay in this warm bubble with Dan? Did Dan feel the same? Did he feel it too, or was Phil just another fuck? Questions filled Phil’s head, questions he’d never expected to think, questions he should not be thinking because Dan isn’t a friend, Dan isn’t a lover, Dan is the tall lanky boy who works at the diner. Phil reluctantly left the bubble, got dressed, and left. The sooner he left, the sooner the questions would fade, right? 


	6. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get complicated after their hookup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a few days late! Chapter written by Hannah/tinyspacehoe

Phil crept slowly through the mansion, looking back towards that room every few minutes, starting to regret his decision to leave Dan in that bed alone. His stomach rumbled and his head lightly pulsed, reminding him of how last night even happened. Finally finding the front door, Phil wished he hadn’t left his jumper with Dan last night, as he shivered in the fresh morning air and sat down at a bus stop pulling out his phone to check the time. 10:23am flashed up on the screen in front of him as well a number of less and less coherent messages from Chris.

Dan woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom; bed sheets wrapped around his long legs and his arm draped over an empty bed. His clothes were strewn around the floor, and Phil’s jumper was left over a nearby chair. 

“Shit” he muttered as he remember the events from the night before, the panted  _ I love you _ and now Phil’s disappearance.  _ He was drunk, did he not really enjoy it why doesn’t he want to talk to me now, why has he run away?  _ Dan doubted himself as he started to realise the mistake that he has made, and now probably ruined friendship between him and Phil. It is sure going to be awkward the next time he comes in to order his regular bagel, maybe he should change the line from “Welcome to Howells, Howell can we help you?’, to “Welcome to Howells, Do you want an ex with that?”. 

He got up slowly and walked over to his phone, hoping for maybe even a message of explanation because he sure as hell deserved that. You don’t just sleep with one of your “friends” and leave. Dan quickly got himself dressed and walked out of the mansion, saw empty bottles and rubbish everywhere, along with the occasionally passed out teenager. 

Pulling his- no, Phil’s- hood up over his head, he walked home, checking his phone every 5 minutes in a desperate attempt to even try to get some contact from the boy he liked. Eventually Dan cracked and gave in typing a short message asking what exactly is going on.

Phil sat on a bus his, head hurting and stomach churning with every movement, typing and deleting a message to Dan, who he believes does deserve at least some form of contact instead of just leaving him lying in a strange bed reeking of sex. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it so that message just lay in his drafts folder waiting to be sent, reply to the short but clearly upset one the boy had sent him earlier, when out the window he saw a tall and familiar figure wearing a pretentious space jumper reserved for only hipsters and nerds. Head down and upset looking, and it broke Phil’s heart to see a usually happy and cheerful boy so down, and knowing that it is  _ his _ entire fault. This is why you don’t become friends with cute boys, and then drunkenly lead them on because it always ends up messing you over in the end.

It had been two hours, so why hasn’t he responded? Phil is the kind of guy who usually responds within 5 minutes, so this is very out of character of him and probably means that he is avoiding Dan’s question.  _ Fine then.  _ If he doesn’t want to respond, Dan is just going to have to get over his little crush and move on because clearly Phil really isn’t interested.

So he decided, Phil pressed the stop button on the bus handles, and decided that it was time to save a friendship. Finding a new second wind he ran down that street, his feet slapping against the hard concrete as he chased after that tall boy, the one that he messed things up with so badly. He spots Dan’s body and stops running to try and get his attention, the momentum causing him to quite literally knock them both over.

Dan felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs and looked up to see this pale face staring back, and a black fringe tickling his face.  _ Phil _ .    
“Fuck off” he said, spitting the off and getting up, walking away.  _ Clearly it is fine for him to come back whenever he wants, but no I try to repair things and he ignores me, well now he is going to have to wait.  _


	7. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan is at a loss of what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by Grace/farawayphan

Phil pushed himself up hastily and chased him down the street, raising a lot of strange looks from any passers-by. He didn’t care. They could think whatever the hell they wanted; all Phil cared about was fixing this mess he had created.

Dan listened to the heavy footsteps getting closer and closer in annoyance, waiting until Phil was only a few metres away before whipping round to stop him in his tracks. “Quit chasing me!” he yelled, catching Phil by surprise. “I don’t want to talk to you right now! Why is that so difficult to understand?”

Phil opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it again with a worried frown. It killed him to see Dan like this- curling, greasy hair, ghostly pale skin, dark eye bags, cracked lips, dull and lifeless eyes- but still so, so beautiful, and Phil wanted nothing more than to run over and hold him in his arms but the truth hurt, and the truth was that he couldn’t. Not now. Maybe not ever. And it was all because of him.    

“Dan, I’m sorry, just please, let me explain,” he said, barely louder than a whisper. Dan met his gaze and sighed. “I can’t do this,” he uttered, and Phil’s heart shattered at that because Dan just sounded so scared and vulnerable and he knew what it felt like to feel so screwed over and it was the worst feeling in the world- it truly was- and he would never wish for it to happen to anybody else.                                                                  

“I never meant to hurt you,” he replied, voice shaky. “I don’t know what I wanted out of last night but it definitely wasn’t to hurt you.” His eyes glistened with tears yet to fall. “I could never bring myself to do that.”

Dan broke their eye contact and exhaled heavily, lifting a hand to his face and wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry, Phil. I just can’t do this now. If you want to fix things then please, just give me time to think.” With a final sigh he turned around and started walking back home, not once looking back at the boy he had left behind him. Phil watched him go in silence, despite the voices in his head urging him to run after him again, and stayed there for about 10 minutes after Dan had walked out of sight, before following a similar path back to his own house, a storm of guilt raging over him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan turned into his street and headed towards the diner, bumping into a few people due to staring at his feet the whole time. He peered in through the window, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw how few people were inside. There never normally were many at this time in the morning. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, relaxing a bit at the comforting warmth and familiar smells. He tugged back his hood and walked swiftly past the booths, ignoring the glances he received from the nosy customers, looking to his left to see who was currently working behind the counter. It was his mum, her hair rolled up with a spotty bandana into a traditional 40’s style, sporting her checked work dress and a bright red lipstick. She stared at him with a concerned expression but said nothing. That was what Dan liked most about his mum. She knew when not to get involved; when to let him sort things out himself, which wasn’t a quality mothers tended to have. It was clear judging by how dreadful he looked that Dan hadn’t had the best of nights, and despite Mrs Howell’s instincts she kept her mouth shut, but Dan could see the worry in her eyes. He had seen that look countless times before and it wasn’t one he liked, as it meant anxious parents and a tidal wave of questions yet to come from his dad.

Dan figured she deserved an explanation but he wasn’t in the least bit willing to give her one, so simply decided to continue to his bedroom without so much as a smile.

It was now 11:45, one and a half hours since Dan had left the party venue, and he was sat on his bed with his head in his hands, feeling overwhelmingly nauseous.                   

He didn’t know what to do. The kiss he had longed for since he set eyes on Phil had finally happened, but the event was bittersweet. Phil had been hammered; it had meant nothing. Nothing that happened that night had meant anything- not the kiss, not the breathless  _ ‘I love you’ _ , not even how careful and gentle Phil had been. Dan had really thought that what they had was going somewhere but after waking up alone this morning that hope had been ripped cruelly away from him. The very reason he had fallen for Phil in the first place was because of how genuine and kind and sweet he had seemed, and it felt like he had known him forever.

_ It felt like he had known him forever. _

In that moment Dan knew that this wasn’t just some silly crush. He wasn’t some 9 year old girl who has her heart set on marrying her favourite band member. He was bloody in love with him, because that’s what it felt like to be in love- you feel like the person has been with you since birth, like they know all your little quirks and embarrassing stories, always there to make you happy when things get rough.

But Dan couldn’t find any comfort in that knowledge because despite knowing deep down that it wasn’t really Phil’s fault (he  _ had _ gotten drunk, had sex with a boy he could barely call his friend, and woken up in a bed next to him with a very vague recollection of the previous night’s events so running away was quite rational), he still felt so betrayed and confused. An endless amount of questions were rushing through his mind and it seemed like his entire world was about to fall apart.

  
  



	8. chapter eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why do we smile? Why do we laugh? Why do we feel alone? Why are we sad and confused? Why do we read poetry? Why do we cry when we see a painting? Why is there a riot in the heart when we love? Why do we feel shame? What is that thing in the pit of your stomach called desire?”  
> ― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
> 
> Chapter Eight/danhowellstar, Emily.

_**“Why do we smile? Why do we laugh? Why do we feel alone? Why are we sad and confused? Why do we read poetry? Why do we cry when we see a painting? Why is there a riot in the heart when we love? Why do we feel shame? What is that thing in the pit of your stomach called desire?”  
** _

_**― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe** _

 

When Dan slept, he dreamt of the one thing he was sure of-

Black hair. 

Blue eyes. 

Everything else was a mystery. Dan felt as though he would never figure out his feelings, like the millions of questions in his mind would go unanswered. 

The sudden buzz of his phone caused to jolt upward. The night prior, Dan had went to bed early- which was a first for the boy, knowing that he usually stayed up all night playing video games or browsing the internet. His mother always scolded him for this- “You’re going to turn into a walking zombie!” She would say with a teasing smile. Dan had hoped that when he when he woke up the world would be different, to no avail. 

Grumbling, Dan grabbed his phone and checked his messages.

Ten to none.

That was the ratio of Phil texts to Dan texts.

They mostly consisted of “Heys” and “Can we talk?”s or even the occasional “I’m sorry”.

Dan decided to ignore the texts. 

You could say it was because he knew it wasn’t Phil’s fault, or that he still felt betrayed and hurt, or maybe because Dan knew that he was so much in love with the older boy. Still, it was probably just because Dan didn’t know what to say.

Looking at the clock, he saw that it was past opening time for the diner. He pulled on a pair of baggy sweatpants and a wrinkled t-shirt and dragged himself downstairs. When he walked into the diner he earned some strange looks- he still appeared extremely hungover, after all. His cousin, Louise, strolled over to him with a grin on her face. Dan hated whenever she smiled like that.

“Wow,” She said, looking Dan up and down, “You look fucking rough.”

“Thanks.” Dan grabbed a coffee, took a sip, and then decided that his stomach wasn’t up to the task.

“Your boyfriend didn’t come today,” Louise announced, leaning her hip on the bar counter. 

So Phil hadn’t come into the diner today. Dan wasn’t surprised.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Dan grumbled, but the look him and Louise shared told her otherwise.

Louise raised her eyebrows, and gave him a look that said Yea, sure he isn’t. Dan took a seat at the breakfast bar. There weren’t many people in the diner today, and Dan was glad for that. Mrs. Howell, Dan’s mom, served him a plate of steaming pancakes and some water. 

“You wanna talk about it?” She asked. What would he even say? “Oh hey mom, I went to a party with this guy I liked and we got drunk and had beautiful, life-changing sex. Also, I think I’m gay.” Dan could see that that conversation wouldn’t go well. His mom would definitely be more upset over his drunkenness than his queerness, though. Instead, Dan just shook his head. Mrs. Howell shrugged and went on to serving the rest of the customers. 

Dan’s phone buzzed in his pocket and Phil’s number popped up on the screen. Without hesitation, Dan hit the reject button. Maybe, if Dan felt up to it, he would call him later. Maybe.

\------------------------------------------

Phil sat on his bed as yet another call went to voicemail. Hey, this is Dan’s voicemail, please leave a message after the beep! Phil didn’t leave a message.

What do you want, Phil? He kept asking himself. What do you want?

“Like I know the answer,” Phil grumbled. He was being honest- he didn’t know what he wanted. He had never wanted to hurt Dan, that’s for sure. Other than that, Phil didn’t know much. Dan hadn’t been answering his calls, texts, or any other form of communication Phil had tried to get a hold of Dan. Anyone not knowing the current situation would probably think Phil was a crazy stalker. Maybe Phil was a crazy stalker. Who knows. Mentally, Phil made a list of what he didn’t know: if he loved Dan. If Dan loved him. Hell, Phil doesn’t even know if Dan even likes him anymore. 

Phil sighed, and flopped onto his pillow and thought. Phil has been thinking a lot lately.

He thought about Dan. He also thought about his marks in school, and how his college applications were due soon,  But mostly, he thought about Dan.

Phil threw his phone onto his bed and decided that waiting for Dan to call or text or do something was useless. He turned on his favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and snuggled up to blankets. There were three things that Phil loved most in his life: warm blankets, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and cereal. Well, four, technically, if you counted Dan. Phil was unsure about that one. 

Three seasons into the show, Phil’s phone buzzed. He paused the tv and looked at his phone- Dan was calling.

“Dan?” Phil asked, trying to keep himself from sounding surprised. For a moment, there was no response.

“....Phil?” Dan breathed from the other end of the call. “Can we talk?”


	9. A Fresh Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps not all is lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by Andrea/runyoubastards

Neither of them said anything for a few moments. For what felt like an eternity, all they could hear was silence on the other end of the line.

“Phil…?” Dan tried again, panic beginning to flare in his chest.  _ Crap crap crap this was a mistake you shouldn’t have done this what the hell were you thinking did you really— _

Dan’s mental tirade was interrupted when Phil’s voice came through the line. “Y-yeah, I’m still here.” Phil sounded… lighter, Dan noted. He couldn’t sense a single iota of the confidence that came so easily to Phil that he’d grown used to over their strange friendship. If he could call it that, at least. The way things stood now, he doubted that whatever higher power existed could put a label on whatever it is they had.

Silence, once again. Dan began to wonder if this was a good idea, if it was better off for him to just rattle off some half-assed excuse to get off the phone and forget the whole thing. It was an impulsive decision, in hindsight. After deciding he was all but useless in the state he was in, he told his mom that he wasn’t feeling too well. Dan figured she probably saw right through him, but thankfully, she let him take the day off, sending him off to his room with reminders to  _ drink as much water as you can! _ and  _ if you need, me just holler, alright? _

Dan had shuffled off to his room, unceremoniously dropping himself on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind was racing with a million thoughts per minute, and it was getting harder and harder to get them to slow down.

Phil seemed to star in a majority of his thoughts. He had easily settled a prominent place in his head before last night, but now, it seemed as though he’s cemented himself firmly in place. Dan sat up, drew his knees to his chest and buried his face in his hands, taking a deep breath. He stayed that way for a few minutes, trying his best to block out any thoughts of that black haired, blue-eyed boy.

Eventually, Dan slowly began to straighten himself out, pulling out his laptop and booting up one of the games he had on there. It was a welcome distraction for however long it lasted; he could pretend that nothing at all was wrong, that he was playing because he wanted to, not because he wanted to take his mind off someone.

A little after he beat the boss for one of the levels and he sat back to watch the cut scene, the dialogue between the characters began to remind him too much of  _ exactly _ what he was trying to forget. He hastily hit the pause button and slammed the laptop closed, pushing it away from him. Against his better judgment, he took his phone from his side table and opened it, seeing yet another barrage of Phil.

“Tch, doesn’t he know when to just stop?” Dan muttered to himself while flipping through the texts. He didn’t bother with the missed calls, numerous as they were; none of them held any voice messages, so he ignored them. The texts weren’t too different from the last ones he saw, until he reached the last one that Phil had sent.

_ Dan, _ it read,  _ look, I get it if you hate me right now. Frankly, I do too. But… please, just talk to me, okay? I don’t want to leave things the way we did. I’m sorry. Really, I am. _

It was as though his hand had a mind of its own. Before he knew it, his finger was hovering over the call button on Phil’s name and his phone was suddenly pressed against his ear, his heart beginning to race a million miles per minute when Phil picked up. Never before did he think anyone could make him simultaneously feel both thrilled and nerve-wracking at the mere mention of his name, but this was Phil. If he had to be honest, Phil seemed to have awoken a whole new range of emotions he found both enthralling and terrifying, but no one needed to know that.

Now there he was, his back pressed against the headboard as he clutched at one of his pillows, biting his lip nervously, trying to think of something to keep the conversation going.  _ You made it this far _ , he thought to himself,  _ just don’t freak out, and it’ll be alright. _

“Dan, are you still there?” Phil asked, a hint of concern lacing his words. “Yeah, I still am. Did I… space out, or something?” Dan replied, already feeling the beginnings of a cringe attack.  Phil chuckled softly and Dan picked up on it, a slight blush beginning to grow on his cheeks.

“Yeah, a bit.” Phil said. “You weren’t answering for a minute or so. I just thought the reception went bad,” he laughed dryly, keeping quiet for a few seconds before continuing. “But yes. I really think we should. Talk, I mean.”

Dan took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. “Okay.”

Phil sighed heavily, while Dan waited in anticipation. Just as Dan was about to say something, Phil’s voice came through the line once more. “Last night was… something, wasn’t it?”

Dan raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. “I guess you could say that,” he replied, images of the night before flashing in his mind’s eye. He found his blush beginning to intensify as he remembered the last stretch more vividly, the needy movements and desperate moans, the three words that he couldn’t get out of his head.  _ He probably didn’t mean it, _ the rational part of himself thought.  _ He was drunk, and we were in the heat of the moment. It doesn’t matter. _

_ But what happened to ‘Phil was still Phil’? _ The more hopeful, albeit tinier part of himself countered.  _ There’s still a chance he meant it. _

Phil gave a half-hearted laugh in response, sending butterflies up Dan’s stomach. “I… crap, why is this so hard?”

“What?” Dan asked, “We’re just talking, aren’t we? What’s so hard about it?”

“No, it’s just that... I don’t know, I feel like it’s better if we do this face to face.”

_ Oh _ . Dan definitely wasn’t expecting that. Face to face?

“Dan.” Phil said suddenly. “I understand that I’m the last person you want to see now.  I get it, I do. But… I like to think we’re friends.”

“Yeah, it’s an interesting friendship we have, huh?” Dan thought, unknowingly saying it aloud. “I guess you can say that.” Phil said, accentuated by an amused chuckle. And damn it, Dan could practically imagine Phil’s face as he realizes what he had done. He can see Phil’s cocky smirk, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed, as though he’s saying he caught him in the act.

“Okay, what I’m trying to say is, I want to make it up to you. But not like this. This feels like a cheap break up, and well, like I said, you’re one of my friends. At least, I still hope you are,” Phil said the latter part significantly quieter than the rest. Dan couldn’t help the sharp exhale at his words. “Phil…” Dan began, beginning to piece together where this was going. “Are you trying to ask me out on a date?”

Phil chuckled airily before he answered. “I… I guess so, yeah. I did say I preferred to deal with this face to face. And last night was hardly a proper first date, was it? At least, I thought there were some things that could’ve gone better.” He paused, before continuing. “So, what do you say Dan? Would you like to go out with me tonight? Your pick. You tell me where we go, what we do, all that.”

Phil mulled over his next words. “Think of it as a redo, a new slate.”

Dan remained silent, trying to wrap his head around the words.  _ Would you like to go out with me tonight?  _ Phil on the other hand, was beginning to grow anxious. What if he’d fucked up too much that Dan would never want to see his face ever again? What if this was it, this was the one that was sure to---

“Okay.”

It took Phil a few seconds to process the two syllables. “W-what did you say?”

“I said okay. Yes, you can take me out. Would you want me to say it in a Northern accent so you’d understand?” Dan said, rolling his eyes as a nervous grin began to grow on his lips, a flare of excitement beginning to grow in his chest.

Phil couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I understood perfectly. Alright then, I’ll see you tonight? At the diner?”

“Yeah, alright. Sounds about right.” Dan replied. Phil smiled, laying back in his bed. “Okay. I’ll make this up to you, I promise. I’ll see you tonight, Dan.”

“Tonight.” Dan confirmed. “I guess I better get cleaned up. I still scream hangover. Bye, Phil.” He pressed the end call button after, not waiting anymore for Phil’s goodbye. He took a deep breath, running through—he squinted at his phone and saw that it had been a half hour long conversation, which surprised him; it seemed like less—the past half hour, flopping onto his bed. He couldn’t help the hopeful laugh that escaped his lips as he stared at the ceiling once more, a grin decorating his face as one thought ran through his mind over and over again:

_ It’s a date. _


	10. Welcome To Howell's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan Howell works as a waiter in his family’s diner, appropriately named Howell’s Diner and is enamored by Phil Lester, a school crush who is a year older than him and just so happens to be a regular customer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don’t know, PRR is a huge collaborative fanfiction where writers contribute one chapter to the story – it is literally Dan and Phil’s One Word Story Game, except on a much larger scale. Sorry this is late! (again)

Instead of making any attempt to get up and wash the hangover off of himself, he sat on his bed for an hour, staring at the ceiling. The goofy smile was still stuck on his face from when he hung up, looking out of placed with the deep bags under his eyes. He really just accepted an official date from Phil Lester. The “incident” was slowly being washed away from his mind and was replaced by excited thoughts.

It took another hour for him to start worrying. 

What if Phil didn’t like him after the date? What if it was all a dare? Was he just a pity date? Dan shudder at the last question, but it would make sense. Phil leaves him in bed, he feels about it, so he asks Dan out in hopes that it would make it up to him. Dan quickly shook his head, no, he wasn’t going to let negative thoughts get to him.

Around six, he received a text from Phil.

From: Phil  
Hey, what’s your address, I can come get you around eight?

Dan quickly responded with his address, and saying that eight was a perfect time. Eght was a perfect time, and Phil is the perfect person to go on the perfect date with. Well, it probably wouldn’t be a perfect date.

An hour before Phil was supposed to come get him, Dan finally got up from his post on the bed. He took a quick shower, not bothering to attend to his hair yet. He threw together an outfit once he got back in his room, a black jumper with green japanese characters across it and some black skinny jeans. Too quickly, he only had twenty minutes before Phil came to get him, and he still hadn’t straightened his hair.

He quickly scrambled to open his drawer, pulling out the straightener and cord and plugging it into the wall. His hair had dried quickly, but it was a messy mop of curls on his head. He waited a few minutes for it to heat up, and then took it to his first bit of hair. As he pulled it, the curl stayed in tact. 

“The fuck,” Dan whispered as he looked at the straightener. He touched the inside of it, only to find that it was just as cold as when he plugged it in, even though the orange light indicating that this was “a hot item”. He groaned, finally realising that it was broken. 

Dan sighed looking at the time. He didn’t have time to look for his mom’s, he was going to have to go out like this. As the clock ticked for him to have five minutes left, Dan took one last look in the mirror. He looked fine, other than the mess of brown curls on his head. He went through his mental checklist, finally deciding he was fit to go outside to face the world, and Phil. 

Dan heard a loud knock at the front door, and he flew down the stairs. He opened the door quickly with a smile plastered on his face. In front of him stood Phil, which his hands in his pocket in an awkward way. He was wearing a blue shirt with stars on it, which contrasted against his black skinny jeans, which were even darker than Dan’s.   
“Hey,” Phil said, with the same goofy smile spread across his face.

“Hey.”

“You ready?” Phil asked. Dan quickly nodded, yelling into the house that he was leaving, if anyone was even home to hear him. They walked to Phil’s car, their legs moving in sync like they had rehearsed. They got into Phil’s car, buckling their seatbelts. 

“What music do you want to listen to?” Phil asked, plugging his phone onto the radio speakers.

“Do you have any Muse?” Dan asked. He was bright red, no one probably listened to Muse anymore, he should’ve just asked for Kanye. 

Phil’s face seemed to brighten more, which should be impossible from how happy he was already. “Muse is like, my favorite!” He blurted out excitedly, quickly going through his music and selecting one of their songs. It wouldn’t be until later Dan would realise that he already knew aphil liked Muse. Phil then started the car and they were on their way. 

As “Uprising” played quietly through the speakers, they talked. They talked about school and all the bitchy teachers and the stupid classes. Their conversation lingered on for about twenty minutes, until Dan finally asked a question that had rested on his mind since he got into the car.

“So where are we heading?” Dan asked, excited. 

Phil’s face fell and he bit his lip, “Well,” he started, “I hadn’t figured that part out.”

“‘You hadn’t figured that part out’?” Dan asked, making sure he heard his (hot) date correctly. 

“Well, I just kinda, like I thought-” Phil was cut off by Dan’s laughter. Phil smiled sheepishly.

“I can’t-believe-you-really”, Dan tried to formulate a sentence but couldn’t stop laughing. 

“Well, I was busy planning conversation starters, and then there was this really cute video of a dog-”

“Phil- stop, I can’t- breathe,” Dan’s laugh blocked out the music from the radio. Soon, Phil was laughing too. He struggled to keep his eyes on the road, having to pull over to an empty lot so they could just laugh.

“Wow, nice place you picked Phil,” Dan said sarcastically, commenting on the place they had pulled into so they didn’t crash. Phil laughed harder, almost doubling over in his seat. Dan’s laugh had simmered down to a chuckle, but his face was bright pink.

“You really asked me out with no plans what-so-ever?” Dan asked, smiling.

“Well, what ideas do you have?” Phil asked, looking for any suggestions at all.

“Well…” Dan bit his lip, thinking. The only place he ever really ate other than his own kitchen was at the diner, but that was out of question. His whole family worked there, he would never bring a date there. But, if they did eat there, they would get free food- no, his dad would make him pay. Then it hit him.


End file.
